Staying in a hotel should make you feel like a guest; you shouldn’t have to do everything for yourself. You definitely don’t want to pay your hard earned money to be uncomfortable and unhappy. You’re now about to learn how you can choose the best hotel for your needs.
Check out online travel websites in order to discover the best deals on hotels. Examples include Orbitz and Expedia. Are you a member of a certain hotel’s membership program? If so, make sure you put this information into the travel site. Also, as an added bonus, you may get discounts from other companies such as AAA or AARP.
Check the organizations that you’re a member of. Many organizations provide hotel discounts for members. Discounts of 10% or more are often available, and people sometimes forget that they are eligible to claim them. These discounts can save you quite a bit of cash, particularly if your stay involves several nights. It may equate to one whole free night.
Make use of the various hotel search websites on the Internet. These websites will help you find good deals quickly. They can also provide you with the average rate for a room at a particular hotel, so you can see if your offer is really a good deal. You can also use them to explore the area around the hotel for recreation.
Search for the best deals in hotels online before making reservations. A lot of the time, when you book a room with someone, they’ll tell you there aren’t any online discounts. You have to look for the discounts. Check websites like Hotwire.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com for great discounts.
To benefit from the best prices at hotels, start planning your trips several weeks or even months in advance. Many hotels offer the best discounts if you book a few months in advance. You can save up to 50 percent, even on elite hotel chains.
When you arrive at your hotel, thoroughly inspect your room before unpacking. Is the room clean and devoid of issues like mildew and mold? Do the sink, shower and toilet work properly? Are linens and towels in ample supply? If you notice any deficiencies in your room, immediately call the front desk so you can resolve these issues, or if the problems are too severe, move you to another room.
If you want to take your pet along on a trip, take care of three tasks before you leave. Check to see if the hotel actually permits pets. Also, bring a lot of plastic sacks like ones from the grocery store so you can get your pet’s messes cleaned up. When you go to make the hotel reservation, see if there is room on the end that would prevent the other guests from hearing a noisy pet.
Know the hotel’s check-in time. Some people fail to check when they will be able to access their rooms. They arrive at the hotel but find that their room isn’t ready yet. If you might arrive prior to check-in time, try calling the hotel and seeing if the room is available.
If you want to get your daily runs in while on vacation, make sure to bring your running gear with you. Go for a run when you wake up in the morning. Running down city streets or country roads can give you a fresh view of the place you are visiting.
Plan your trip as far in advance as possible. Some hotels have great discounts when you book a couple of months in advance. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.
Remember that hotel chains often provide loyalty programs offering excellent discounts. Similar to frequent flyer programs with an airline company, hotel programs will typically give you points for each visit. Use them for discounts, entertainment tickets and other things.
If you have a AAA membership, look into hotel discounts included. You may not have known that, but it’s true. It will let you save 5% or so on hotels that are around the nation. The more nights you stay, the more you will save.
If you must make a hotel transfer, find out about the fees. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. You will save more by asking about such a thing in advance.
If you are an avid jogger, a GPS watch is a great investment so you can always find your way back to your hotel. Also, don’t forget your exercise clothes! So, make sure you have your running gear and shoes and you will be set to jog anywhere. Whether you are running on roads or city streets, you will gain more knowledge about the city you are visiting while you run.
To get the most out of your hotel stays, particularly if you travel a great deal for business, join a membership program such as that offered by Choice Hotels or Marriott. When you do, you get points every time you stay at a hotel.
If you are a person who travels often, it is a good idea to sign up for hotel loyalty programs. They offer perks to folks who frequent their hotel. You can score things like complimentary upgrades, later check-out options and even free nights once you accumulate enough loyalty program points.
Avoid using the hotel phone to make long distance phone calls. Make use of the Internet, instead. You will probably find that your hotel has Wi-Fi and Skype. Use these connections to keep in touch instead of costly long distance calls.
If you often stay at a certain type of hotel, ask about the “frequent stay” program. Just like with a frequent flyer mile program, you can get points for staying a hotel. These points can be traded in for restaurant discounts, tickets to shows, free nights at the hotel, and much more.
If you are planning on staying in a hotel room with your children, make sure you call the hotel in advance to ensure they provide a working pool or some other fun activities for your children to do. Your kids and you will be very frustrated if the pool at your hotel is closed because of repairs when you arrive.
Don’t make any long distance calls from your hotel room. Instead, you should try the Internet. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. You can stay connected with friends, family and business colleagues this way, rather than making expensive long distance calls.
If you want to inspect a hotel room for bed bugs, start with the bathroom. This is where you won’t find them. That is what makes it the best place to start. You can store your luggage there and search the rest of your room for those bedbugs. It’s also safe for pets and kids this way.
Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. Bedbugs are least likely to live here. That is what makes it the best place to start. You can store your luggage there and search the rest of your room for those bedbugs. It can be a temporary haven for children and pets.
Be sure you know what the hotel smoking policy is if you smoke cigarettes. Most hotels have designated smoking rooms. If that happens to be the case, then you need to ask for that type of room. Some hotels fine guests if they find that they smoked in a designated non-smoking room. This means that you must be sure to obey the hotel’s smoking rules.
You want to have an enjoyable experience during your hotel stay. So read the tips above once more for clarity. These tips are sure to help you get a better hotel for a bargain. There are some great hotels out there, and you just need to find them.
If you are going to need a rollaway bed or crib, specify this when booking your room. Not every hotel will have these items available, and the ones that do only have limited quantities. They may charge extra for this. Avoid difficulties by making these arrangements in advance.